Straight bar knitting machines and method



April i9, 1966 M. HARRISON ET AL 3,246,488

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STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES AND METHOD l? Sheets-Sheet 16 Filed June 15, 1963 Jaw .,w L. www P A w H f April 19, 1966 M. HARRISON ETAL STRAIGHT BAR KNTTTING MACHINES AND METHOD 1*? Sheets-Sheet 1? Filed June l5, 1961 United States Patent 3,246,488 STCRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES AND METHOD Michael Harrison, Ashby de la Zouch, and Alan Edward Hincklielf, Epperstone, England, assignors to William Cotton Limited f Filed .lune 13, 1961, Ser. No. 116,711 yClaims priority, application Great Britain, June 14, 1960, 20,778/ 60 This invention is for improvements .in or relating to straight bar knitting machines of the Cottons Patent and other similar type which are characterized by each having a row of bearded needles mounted on a bar for simultaneous operation, and a narrowing head for movements of loop transfer points in the transference of loops, the bar and narrowing head being operated through their own cam follower mechanism by cams on a cam shaft in the machine. The invention primarily concerns improvements in or modifications of the invention described in U.S. Patent No. 3,100,975 (Brown et al.) in which there is claimed a method of producing on a straight bar knit- -ting machine employing bearded needles, knitted articles having a cable stitch pattern, in which method groups of loop transfer instruments are employed to pick up a group of loops from therbeared needles and to vtransfer them back to lthe needles with sub-groups of the loops crossed-over. There is also claimed in said specification a straight bar knitting machine, having means for producing knitted larticles with cable stitch patterns, which means comprises bearded needles, adjacent sub-groups of loop transfer instruments for co-operation withthe bearded needles, means mounting said instruments for dipping movements, means mounting said instruments for sideways movements in opposite directions appropriate for for the transfer of loops by the instruments from some of `the bearded needles to others of the bearded needles, and means for effecting said movements of the instruments appropriate to produce a crossed-over loop formation at spacedcourse intervals. c

An object of the invention is to provide means whereby the cable stitch pattern is more clearly defined and preferably employing an improved transfer instrument control arnangement. v

The invention provides animprovement inror a modification of the method claimed in our U.S, Patent No. 3,100,975 which consists in causing a needle at each side of the cable stitch forming needles to release their loops for a number of coursesduring which the cable stitch is formed thereby producing a repetitive drop stitch at each side of the cable stitch. Conveniently at the commencement of .making the cable stitch, Ithe loops last formed before the drop stitches are locked in the fabric against running.

The .invention also provides an improvement in or a modification of the machine claimed in our U.S. Patent No. 3,100,975 which comprises means operably associated with :a needle at each side of the cable stitch forming needles for causing each said needle to release their loops, and means for causing repetition of this for a number of courses during which the cable stitch is formed,

thereby producing a repetitive drop stitch at each side ofY the cable stitch.

Conveniently, there is also provided means for operating the sub-groups of instruments in the last course before the drop stitches are formed, to lock the loop of each said needle in the fabric .against running.

For making the drop stitches there may be provided a bent-over tipped point operably associated with the subgroups of transfer instruments :at each side thereof, to close their associated needle beards and allow the latters loops to be cast off.

CCY

For locking each of the aforesaid loops, the sub-groups of transfer instruments may be operated by suitable means to transfer each of said loops to adjacent needles. Conveniently, these means consist of a cam shaft, camoperated mechanism, and racked cam mechanism for obtaining appropriate dipping and sideways movements of The sequence of movements vof the sub-groups of the sub-groups of transfer instruments. transfer instruments may be first to pick up and transfer loops, including the loop from one of the side needles and excluding the loop on the other side needle, to next adjacent needles in a directiontowards said other side needle, then to pick-up and transfer loops, including the loop from the latter side needle and excluding the loop transferred from the one side needle to next adjacent needles in the opposite direction.

There is further provided means for displacing the subgroups of transfer instruments into and out of operative position, which means may include for manual :and automatic displacements respectively.

The above and other features of the invention set out in the appended claims are incorporated in the construction vwhich will now be described as a Specic embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a general cross sectional view of a Cottons patent or other similar straight bar knitting machine according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged general perspective view of cable stitch forming mechanism of the machine.

FIGURE 2a is a lower extension of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged detail perspective view of a cable box part of said mechanism.

FIGURE 4 is a detail cross sectional view of needle operating mechanism of the machine.

FIGURE 5 is a detail cross sectional view of narrowing head operating mechanism of the machine.

FIGURE 6 is a detail cross sectional view of drop stitch point operating mechanism of the machine.

FIGURE 7 is a detail plan view of a cam shaft shogging means of the machine.

FIGUE 8 is a detail sectional view lof said shogging mechanism.

FIGURE 9 is a detail front view of said shogging mechanism. j FIGURE 10 is a detail perspective viewl showing a stage, in the production of cable stitch patterned fabric on said machine, where loop transfer and drop stitch points are in a raised starting position.

FIGURE 1l shows a later stage where the transfer points have been sideways displaced and are boxed with the needles, the drop stitch points being inoperative.

FIGURE 12 shows a later stage where the transfer points and needles have been lowered.

FIGURE 13 shows a later stage where the transfer points are raised.

FIGURE 14 shows a later stage where the transfer points have been sideways displaced.

FIGURE 15 shows a later stage where the drop-stitch points are boxed with the needles.

FIGURE 16 shows a later stage where the transfer points have been raised.

FIGURE 17 shows a later stage where the transfer points have been sideways displaced and are boxed with the needles.

FIGURE 18 shows a later stage where the transfer points and needles have been lowered.

FIGURE 19 shows a later stage where the transfer points have been raised.`

FIGURE 20 shows a later stage where the transfer points have been sideways displaced.

FIGURE 21 shows a later stage where the transfer Patented pr. 19, 1966 points have boxed with the needles and both have been loweredv FIGURE 22 shows a later stage where the transfer points have been raised.

FIGURE 23 shows a later stage where all the points are out of action.

FIGURE 24 shows a later stage where the transfer points are inoperative and the drop-stitch points have lbeen lowered.

FIGURE 2S shows a later stage when the drop-stitch points and needles are lowered.

FIGURE 26 shows a later stage where the drop-stitch points have been raised.

FIGURE 27 shows a. later stage where the transfer points are boxed with the needles, the drop stitch points being inoperative.

FIGURE 28 shows a later stage where the transfer points are partly raised. Y,

FIGURE 29 shows a later stage where the transfer points have been sideways displaced.

FIGURE 30 shows a later stage where the transfer points are boxed with the needles.

FIGURE 3l shows a later stage where some transfer points are fully raised and others are partly raised.

FIGURE 32 shows a later stage where the latter points are lowered and needle beards are not pressed.

FIGURE 33 shows a later stage similar to FIGURE 3 l.

FIGURE 34 shows a later stage where the transfer points have been sideways displaced.

FIGURE 35 shows a later stage where the transfer points have boxed with the needles and all points have been raised out of operation.

FIGURE 36 shows a later stage with the transfer points out of operation and the drop-stitch points operative.

FIGURE 37 is a pictorial View of part of the fabric produced. Y

Referring to FIGURE 1, a Cottons Patent or other similar straight bar knitting machine is represented by bearded needles 1 which are mounted for simultaneous operation on a needle bar 2 (shown particularly in FIG- URE 4) operated through cam follower mechanism such as 3 by rotary cams such as a presser course cam 4 on the machines main cam shaft 5, and a narrowing head represented generally at 6 which is operated through cam follower mechanism 7 (shown particularly in FIG- URE by a shaped narrowing head fashioning cam 8 lon the machines cam shaft 5.

Usual earn shaft shogging mechanism (shown particu- 18 for engagement respectively by the face cams 13, 14.

The parts 16 represent the usual bell crank lever, link,

and straight lever'mechanism whereof the straight lever which mounts the cam followers 17, 18, is connected by the link to one end of the bell crank lever, and the other end of the bell crank lever is connected to a plunger 19 (i.e., a rod spring biased in a cylinder) having a collar 2t), and for removable engagement behind the `collar 20 there is a lever 21 operated through a lever 22 and spring 22a by single or double bits 23, 24 on the machines pattern chain 25.

The usual arrangement is that when a single bit 23 operates lever 22 (FIGURE 9), lever 21 is thereby removed from behind the collar 20 so that the plunger 19 is free to spring away, i.e., toward the cam 12) so that the cam follower 15 can then ride up and down the rise on the cam 12 and through the consequent pivoting of the bell crank lever this causes the cam followers 17, 18 to be brought alternately into the path of the cams 13,

14 respectively. FIGURE 8 shows the position where the cam follower 15 has moved down the rise on the cam 12, the cam follower 18 has consequently lowered, and cam follower 17 has been raised for engagement by the `face cam 13 whereby the cam shaft 5 will be shogged to the right. When the rise on cam 12 next engages the cam follower, this reverses the cam followers 17, 18 and the cam shaft is shogged to the left. Each movement is made at required times; and to carry one set of cams away from their cam followers and t-o engage different cams with the cam followers. Cam 12 turns one arm 16C of the bellcrank so that its other perpendicular arms 16e, 16j move the end of lever 16a which turns about pivot 16h and moves cam follower 1S into engagement with face cam 18, while cam follower 17 moves away from face cam 13. Spring means, not shown, bias the cam followers toward the cams so that plunger 19 is restored by the cam 12 to its initial position. A particular result of this shoggiug of the cam shaft 5 to the right by face cam 13 is to put the machine into a fashioning motion bythe shaped narrowing head fashioning cam 8 (FIGURE 5) becoming operative from a circular narrowing head course cam 8a such that the narrowing head 6 then has a motion constituted by a first dip, next a part rise, and then a second dip followed by a complete rise back to its original position, the usual object of this being to cause loop transfer points such as 26 of a fashioning finger 26a (FIGURE 2) to transfer loops from some needles to others at selvedges S of the fabric F for fashioning by widening or narrowing. In the instance of the single bit 23, the next rack of the chain 25 displaces it from the lever 22 and the earn 12 not only reverses the cam followers 17, 18 so that the cam shaft is shogged back to the left by face cam 14 but the plunger 19 is returned to its original position by the rise on cam 12 projected so that the lever 21 falls in behind the collar 20 to terminate the shoggiug motion. In the instance of the double bit 24, this causes the lever 21 to be held clear of the collar 20 so that two shoggiug or fashioning motions involving two revolutions of the main cam shaft occur consecutively.

In the needle mechanism there is provided a circular course cam 27 (particularly FIGURE 4) which is rendered operative by shoggiug of a movable cam follower 28 on to it from the cam 4 and prevents the beards 1a of the needles 1 from being pressed when required (for `a purpose hereinafter referred to). The shogging of the cam follower 28 is effected by a fork 29 operated through suitable mechanism 29a from the machines pattern chain 25.

The narrowing head 6 (see particularly FIGURE 2) generally incorporates transfer point bars 30, 31, 32, 33 slidably mounted in spaced brackets 34, 35 carried by arcuate arms 36, 36a, the latter being mounted on a shaft 37 for pivotal movement.

In addition the bracket 35 has a forward extension 35a in which there is slidably mounted a pair of bars 38, 39 to which there is secured what may be called for convenience a transfer unit or cable box 4t),k and which is raised and lowered by raising and lowering of the narrowing head.

This cable box 40 (see also FIGURE 3) consists of an inverted L shaped block of channel section having a rear cover 41 and an upper recess 40a for the bars 38, 39 and which is bridged by`a topcover 41a. Slidably mounted in the cable box 40 there are two cable or transfer ngers 42, 43 each having three downwardly projecting loop transfer points 42P, 43P. This slidable mounting allows for the cable ngers 42, 43 to be raised and lowered by the raising and lowering of the cable box 40 with the narrowing head, andy in addition, the lingers have some independentmovement. More specifically the cable finger 43 is lvertically displaceable, by means to be described, in either direction from standing position in transfer unit or the cable box 40,'whereas cable linger 42 is only displaceable, by means to be described, above standing position because of a pin 44 (particularly FIGURE 3) on the linger 42 projecting over a shoulder 43b of the cable finger 43 for raising the cable linger 43 and consequently the linger 42, through the shoulder 43h and the pin 44, and independently of the cable box, and for lowering linger 43 independently of linger 42 and of the cable box 40.

Cable linger 43 has an upper hook 43awhich hooks onto an operating rod 45 constituting van operating means for the transfer linger 43. Hook 43a has an attached prop 43b for displaceable engagement over a rod 46 and a gap G for displaceable disengagement from an elongated operating rod 45.

The cable lingers 42, 43 are of channel form and they have slidably mounted in them respectively drop stitch slides or lingers 47 and 48 which have forks 47a and 48a engaging said rod 46, the forks being suliiciently long to remain in continual engagement with rod 46, and the slides each carrying a downwardly projecting dropstitch point 47P, 48P.

The elongated operating member or rod 46 is carried by arms 49, 50 (FIGURE 2) which are secured on an elongated rocking support spindle 51 and, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2a, the latter is rocked by a cam 56 through an arm 51a, link connections 52, 53 a cam follower 54 (FIGURE 2a) and spring 55. The drop stitch course cam 56 on the main shaft 5 is operable in the normal knitting motion of the machine. A circular drop stitch fashioning cam 56a is moved under the cam follower 54 by the shogging of the cam shaft 5 for the fashioning motion. Elements 46, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56 are the operating means of the drop stitch fingers 47, 48. A manually releasable latch 51b (FIGURE 1) on a pivot carried by link 52 and connecting the arm 51a to the link 52 by peg and slot 51C is operable to render the spindle 51 and consequently the drop stitch points operative and inoperative.

The rod 45 is carried by arms 57, 58 secured to rocking spindle 59, the latter being rocked through arm 60, link 61, cam follower means 62 (FIGURE 2a) including cam follower 62a and a transfer point fashioning cam 63 on the cam shaft 5. The cam follower 62a is shiftable, by fork 62h and suitable mechanismv 62C from the pattern chain 25, from said cam 63 (which is operable during certain fashioning motions) either onto a transfer point circular fashioning cam 63a for other fashioning motions or onto a transfer 4point circular course cam 63b for normal knitting motions of the machine, a suitable change between the cams also being made when the cam shaft shogs.

For sideways displacement of the cable box 40, the bar 38 (FIGURE 2) is operative, i.e., for driving a left hand cable box for right over left cable stitch, (the other bar 39 is for driving a right hand cable box, i.e., for left over right cable stitch) by having formed in cable box 40 an upper slot 41a connected with the lower channel 40C of cable box 48 and having a block 38a partly disposed in channel 40C and partly in slot 41a. A bar 38 extends through an upper recess in block 38a and is clamped to the same by a cap 38C secured to block 38 by screws 38h. The bars 38, 39 are shogged endwise by lirst operating means including lock stitch and cable stitch Dawson wheels 64, 65, 66, 67 (FIGURE 2). For this purpose cam followers 68, 69 which are on a rod 70a, 71o carried by brackets 70h, 7th which are secured to the bars 38, 39 and the cam followers are displaceable by hand turned screws 70, 71, into engagement with appropriate of the cams. The cams are racked round by ratchet wheel 72, clawker 73, bell crank lever 74 and link connection 75 to cam follower means 76 (FIGS. 1 and 2a) including a cam follower 76a. The latter is shiftable, for example by hand or by fork 76b through suitable mechanism 76e from the pattern chain 25, to engage either a lock stitch shaped fashioning cam 77 or a lock l upward motion of the narrowing machine.

stitch differently shaped fashioning cam 77a, in the fashioning motion of the machine, or a lock stitch circular course cam 77b, in the normal knitting cycle of the machine. These cams are on the main cam shaft 5 (see also FIGURE 6), a suitable change between the cams being also effected when the cam shaft shogs. Second operating means including cam shaft 5 raise and lower transfer unit 40 with head 6.

As allowed by the aforesaid slots 40C, 41a (FIGURE 3) and recess 40a, the cable box 40 is displaceable up to the fashioning linger bars 30, 31, 32, 33 into operative position against return bias of a spring 78, and it is there releasably held by a latch 79 engaging behind a lug 80 under bias of a spring 81 and constituting a releasable latching means. A knob 4Gb on the cable box 40 facilitates handling of the box.

When it is required to render the cable box inoperative (for a purpose to be described or to allow passage of a fashioning linger such as 26) a rotary cam 82 (FIG. 2) on a shaft 83 immediately above the box is automatically operated' to engage a peg 79a (FIG. 3) on latch 79 and release the latter from the lug 80, so that spring 78 returns the cable box 40 to its inoperative position shown in FIGURE 2 spaced forwardly from the fashioning linger bars 30, 31, 32, 33. The shaft 83 is rotated for said purpose by any suitable means. For example the shaft 83 which is shown cut away to the left of the cam 82, is rotated through pawl and ratchet means $4 (FIG. 2), with indexing mechanism 85, operable through link 86, cam follower means 87 (FIGS. 1 and 2a) with cam follower 87a shiftable by fork 87h through suitable means 87C from the chain 25, and a cable box shaped course cam 8S on the cam shaft 5 or for example by Cable box circular cams 88a and 88h are also provided either of which may be operative on cam follower 87a, a suitable change between the cams also being effected when the ca m shaft shogs.

In this position of the parts the prop 43b of the hook 43a rests on the rocking rod 46 (with the hook 43a clear of rod 45) so that in subsequent fashionings, when rod 46 and consequently the drop stitch points are raised and held by fashioning cams, cable stitch finger 43, and linger 42 (by means of said shoulder 43b and pin 44) are lifted clear of the fabric. After fashioning, when rod 46 and the drop `stitch points are lowered the lingers 42, 43 return to starting height under bias of a spring 89 which as shown in FIGURE 3 is connected to the fron-t of the cable box 40 and to the finger 42 through a slot in the box 40 (the linger 42 being lowered directly by the spring and the linger 43 being lowered by the spring through the medium of the shoulder 43h anld the pin 44), thus allowing the cable box 40 to be re-engaged to operational position when required against bias of the spring 78.

A multiple number of cable boxes', either right hand lor left hand or both, may be mounted on the bars 38, 39 and each is capable of being dds-engaged automatically in said manner and independently o-f the others at any pre-set time, any number of either hand of cable boxes being in operation simultaneously.

The drop-stitch points 47P, 48P have channels 90, 91 and tips 92, 93 bent in opposite direction to the tips of the transfer points 42P, 43P for a purpose to be described.

On lthe machine as above described there can be produced a cable stitch patterned fabric with drop stitches at each side `of vthe cable stitches as shown in the fabric FIGURES 35, 36.

TheV complete method of operation for this purpose is as follows with reference lirstly to the stage shown in FIGURE 1t).

l At this stage 'which follows production of a suitable length of knitted fabric (with the hand latch 5111 disconnected and the drop stitch points being held up by a 

8. IN A STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE THE COMBINATION WITH NEEDLES, A TRANSFER UNIT, TRANSFER FINGERS CARRIED BY SAID TRANSFER UNIT PERMANENTLY SIDE BY SIDE, AND FIRST OPERATING MEANS OPERABLY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID TRANSFER UNIT AND TRANSFER FINGERS FOR CAUSING THE LATTER TO COOPERATE WITH THE NEEDLES TO FORM CABLE STITCHES, OF DROP STITCH POINTS SLIDABLE IN SAID TRANSFER UNIT AT THE OUTERSIDE OF SAID TRANSFER FINGERS, AND SECOND OPERATING MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID DROP STITCH POINTS FOR CAUSING THE DROP STITCH POINTS TO COOPERATE WITH THE NEEDLES TO FORM DROP STITCHES AT THE OUTER SIDES OF THE CABLE STITCHES. 